This is a discussion on Cycled 55gal long aquarium, planted. Info and opinions on fish choices? within the Beginner Freshwater Aquarium forums, part of the Freshwater Fish and Aquariums category; -->
Sooo once I get some flourish and see how my plants are doing, I plan to add another bag of gravel and get many ...

Sooo once I get some flourish and see how my plants are doing, I plan to add another bag of gravel and get many more plants to make it more heavily planted, as well as move the ones I have around (I kinda just got a new plant every week and put it somewhere where it would get light and had semi-deep gravel.

Is it possible that some of my plants are showing improvement since I got the new lights?
A sprout off one of them has already at least doubled in size and it was growing way slower before the new lights were added.

Anyways, would these plants be ok to add to my tank, I think they would be compatible but I might be missing some information about them. They are just ones that I like and think would do well.

Water Sprite (Some rooted/some free-floating, unless you just tie it to rocks/wood and don't root in gravel?)
Anacharis
Anubias Minima (tied to my lava rocks with fishing line, and driftwood if I get it)
Aponogeton Crispus
Banana Plant
Cryptocoryne Cilitia
Cryptocoryne Undulata
Cryptocoryne Wendtii Bronze
Dwarf Onion (you only plant part of the bulb, right? With some showing..)
Dwarf Sagittaria Subulata (in the front, will it spread fast?)
Java Fern
Pennywort (possibly, I've heard it spreads but I would like a patch of it and then the rest in Dwarf Sagittaria Subulata)
Sword Red Rubin (3)
Vallisneria Spiralis (Leopard)

I'm also hoping my light would be sufficient to have all or most of these... I'd be layering from back having tallest and the shortest in the front, but a few taller ones in different spots to mix it up some. I want the groundcover plants (Pennywort and Dwarf Sagittaria Subulata) because I figure if I'm not going to be vacuuming the gravel I might as well put a lot of plants in there so they get the nutrients and stuff.

I have been wanting to get some driftwood for over a year, which my pet store has lots of, but I have heard it can mess with water parameters? Soo not sure what to do about that.

And for fish I believe an aunt is visiting us soon, and she has this 10 gallon tank with guppies that reproduce so rapidly it is amazing. It's way over-stocked with over 50 adult guppies and WHO KNOWS how many babies. I've seen her feed and she just dumps in a really good sized bit of flakes. I don't know how they stay so healthy, she never checks the water or anything and they've been like this for YEARS. Only one dead one every once in a while, and I'm pretty sure it's just natural causes.

ANYWAYS... She's bringing me some that she wants to put in my 55gal with my neons, so even though as Byron said my water might be a little soft we'll see how it goes.
If the guppies work, would it be possible to add a Gouram into my tank? A dwarf or any of the other ones my LFS carries? Of course not too big, even though my neons are on the bigger side I believe and there would hopefully be a lot more plant cover by then...
Does anyone know how this would work? I've heard Gourami's can be aggressive towards guppies, but it might work...?
My other thought would be instead of one gourami, one angelfish. But it might not be compatible with guppies/neons :/
If the guppies do good (fingers crossed) I would be happy with a heavily planted tank with neons and a ton of guppies, no other fish required). SO the gourami/angelfish may not be an issue.

I'm so glad there's people on here who know what they're doing. Maybe one day I will

Rather than repeat what is in the profiles on most of those plants and fish mentioned, I am going to direct you to the profiles: second tab from the left in the blue bar across the top. There are issues with gourami and angelfish (the latter is also a shoaling fish best in a small group).

One comment on Pennywort, it is a stem plant and not a ground cover. Unless it is grown emersed, then it will crawl along the ground. But not when submersed. Pygmy chain sword is good for this.

Yes I understand that you wouldn't want to repeat the profiles, and I just finished reading them for all the plants and fish that had them that I am interested in =)
I got my water tested at the store today, pH is 7.0-7.2.

I believe I have found out several plants that will work with my setup, as well as fish that will be good with the pH and softness. I will be adding driftwood soon =)

If you wouldn't mind looking at my fish choices, I have a final selection on my third post on the fish thread. I have been researching them all for two hours and I *think* those fish will be good, as long as the gourami(s) and Rams get along. I also researched all the plants I was considering.

Yes I understand that you wouldn't want to repeat the profiles, and I just finished reading them for all the plants and fish that had them that I am interested in =)
I got my water tested at the store today, pH is 7.0-7.2.

I believe I have found out several plants that will work with my setup, as well as fish that will be good with the pH and softness. I will be adding driftwood soon =)

If you wouldn't mind looking at my fish choices, I have a final selection on my third post on the fish thread. I have been researching them all for two hours and I *think* those fish will be good, as long as the gourami(s) and Rams get along. I also researched all the plants I was considering.

I'm so excited =D
Thanks, Angella

I'll have a read of those threads. By the way, I wrote most of the profiles, and having put so much work into them I take every opportunity to get people reading them rather than my repeating everything in posts. B.